Take one of America’s largest grocery chains and marry it with one of the coun- try’s most revered cheese shops, and the result is nothing short of breathtaking. Founded in 1940 by Murray Green- berg, and later purchased by Rob Kaufelt in 1991, Murray’s Cheese grew into a world-renowned destination for specialty food with cheese as the spectacular centerpiece.

In 2008, Murray’s entered into an agreement with The Kroger Co. of Cincinnati to
expand the grocer’s specialty cheese program.

Last year, Kroger purchased the equity of Mur-ray’s Cheese, as well as its flagship store onBleecker Street in New York, to form a mergerof the two companies.It’s a successful partnership, to say the least.Murray’s Cheese reportedly sold more than ahalf-million pounds of cheese in 2017—in NewYork alone. And while Kroger does not disclosespecific sales information, content on its websitesays that when a Murray’s Cheese shop opens inone of its stores, entire store sales increase.

There are now 408 Murray’s shops in Kroger
stores, with plans to open about 40 additional
stores this year. Kaufelt remains the strategic
adviser.

“When we set out on the Kroger partnership, we wanted to bring delicious cheese to the
masses, educate them on the world of cheese
and share our love of specialty food with associates and customers across the country,” says
Elizabeth Chubbuck, SVP of sales and marketing for Murray’s Cheese.

“Our partnership with Kroger has allowed

A Perfect PairingWith a shared commitment to the customerexperience, Kroger and Murray’s are revolutionizingthe supermarket cheese counter. By Jennifer Strailey